Union Begins Bid To Organize Delray Workers

March 1, 1985|By Kevin W. Betz, Staff Writer

DELRAY BEACH — A union trying to organize Delray Beach employees was certified Thursday by the state Public Employees Relations Commission, formally requiring the city administration to respond to the union by March 5.

City officials will study the types of jobs done by the 208 workers that the union wants to organize and present any disagreements to PERC, an arbitration agency.

``We have yet to decide,`` said Herb Thiele, city attorney, about the possibility of contesting any of the positions being included in the union move.

Any disagreements will be decided by PERC at a meeting March 21.

PERC also authorized its attorney, John Hilly, to verify cards signed by city employees wanting the International Brotherhood of Firemen and Oilers union.

Thursday`s certification is one more of the many procedural steps the union must go through before an election is held.

``We will talk about an election after we hear from the city,`` said Wanda Stimpson, a representative of Local 1227 of IBFO.

At the election, all of the employees agreed upon will vote ``yes`` or ``no`` on their preference to be represented by IBFO. A majority vote will formally give IBFO collective bargaining rights, and then contract negotiations will begin, said Stimpson.

State law requires that more than 30 percent of the city workers eligible to join the union sign authorization cards calling for a vote, and that was certified at the meeting by PERC.

Stimpson has declined to say how many workers signed the cards, but said the number submitted to PERC exceeded the state requirement. IBFO filed papers and the signed cards with the PERC on Feb. 13.

Only the city`s police and fire department employees are represented by labor unions.

IBFO also represents public employees in Boca Raton and Riviera Beach. Overall, the union represents 2,700 public employees in Palm Beach and Glades counties.

The effort to organize began more than a month ago. It was sparked by recent dismissals at the Public Utilities Department and Delray Beach Municipal Golf Course, according to union officials.

In January, the jobs of four water treatment plant operators and a trainee were eliminated. And in December, 10 part-time workers were laid off at the city golf course.